Sanford Health: Stop Using Animals for Medical Training

Yet, Sanford Health hosts the only ATLS program in the U.S. and Canada that continues to use animals. Today, 384 other ATLS programs use only nonanimal methods, such as human-based medical simulators and cadavers. Those human-based methods are endorsed by the American College of Surgeons, which accredits ATLS programs, and are the only method employed by the U.S. Department of Defense for ATLS training. In fact, other regional programs at the University of South Dakota, the South Dakota Department of Health, the North Dakota Department of Health, the University of North Dakota, and Sanford Health Bismarck use only nonanimal methods.

Every surgical skill taught in ATLS courses can be performed using the TraumaMan System, a realistic anatomical human-body simulator with lifelike skin, fat, and muscle that is used by a high percentage of ATLS programs. 

Sanford Health’s operation of a state-of-the-art medical simulation center in Sioux Falls, and the SIM-ND mobile simulation units operated in partnership with the University of North Dakota, make it clear that the hospital system understands the educational value of human-based training. 

Please tell Sanford Health to replace the use of animals with modern, human-based training methods—because Dakotans deserve better. 

Additional Resources:

• Animal Use in Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Courses in the United States and Canada: An Ongoing Survey
• Simulation for Medical Training: A Sampling of Key Devices